The role of social media in shaping public opinion on the Palestinian issue during the Israeli aggression on Gaza in 2023-2025 - a field study on a sample of Algerian university students

Abstract

The study aimed to identify the role of social media in shaping public opinion on the issue of aggression on Gaza during 2023-2025. The study adopted the descriptive survey method, and within its framework, an electronic questionnaire form was used, which was applied to an available sample estimated at 150 individuals from university youth at Emir Abdelkader University in Algeria.The study reached a number of results, the most important of which are:-The follow-up of the Israeli aggression on Gaza by university students via social media ranked first as the most frequently followed issue due to its connection to the Arab and Islamic conscience,and the results showed that this follow-up falls within the framework of ongoing follow-up, which means that social media sites have become an important medium for obtaining news.The study results showed that Facebook is the most powerful and effective social media platform in shaping public opinion about the Israeli aggression on Gaza from the perspective of university students, due to its instantaneous and interactive features in reporting events. AlsoThe study results showed that university students affirmed their response to calls for continued support for Gaza, out of their belief in the justness of the cause and their view of it as a central issue of concern to Muslims.